HFCs: India asks developed world to address finance issues

India today urged the developed world to address finance and technology transfer issues while phasing-down the climate-damaging HFCs, as the UNEP chief made an impassioned plea invoking Mahatma Gandhi to countries to seal an ambitious deal at the summit on Montreal Protocol.

Dave made India’s position clear after UNEP chief Erik Solhein made an impassioned plea to all the parties attending the conference to arrive at a deal on HFC phase-down at the Kigali conference. (Source: PTI)

India today urged the developed world to address finance and technology transfer issues while phasing-down the climate-damaging HFCs, as the UNEP chief made an impassioned plea invoking Mahatma Gandhi to countries to seal an ambitious deal at the summit on Montreal Protocol.

Straight away getting into business at the ministerial session held at the Kigali Convention Centre here, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave urged the developed world to be “crystal clear” on addressing the issue of technology and finance otherwise it will be difficult for the small island nations and developing nations to accept such a proposal.

“Looking to the developing countries, when I looked into it, India has share of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) less than two per cent. Similarly neighbouring countries, other developing countries, their contribution in HFC world is very less,” Dave said, while speaking on the issues being faced by a group Article 5 countries while phasing down of the harmful refrigerant gas.

“But they are willing …they want to be a sensible, responsible member of the family, they want to contribute… What I feel that high-end technology that too economically cheap, otherwise if technology is costly, it will be difficult for the smaller countries, ocean countries, island countries, developing countries…that will be difficult to accept,” the Minister said.

“At the same time, finance is a very big issue. We will have to address that issue also. While deciding these two things, it should be crystal clear,” Dave said.

Dave made India’s position clear after UNEP chief Erik Solhein made an impassioned plea to all the parties attending the conference to arrive at a deal on HFC phase-down at the Kigali conference.

Addressing the high-level session, Solhein, in a bid to reach out to India, referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Kozhikode in Kerala where he asserted India’s commitment in addressing the climate change by ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

He called for the nations to be inspired by the lifestyle of Gandhi to address the threat posed by climate change.